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Question
I have been trying to find out, to no avail, why Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley changed the spelling of his family name from Stewart (his father was Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox) to Stuart.
Do you know when and why he did this? I'd be very interested to know!
Regards,
Gavin
Hello Gavin.
It was during the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots that the Stewarts began to use the French version of Stuart. Mary was half French and grew up in France between the ages of 5 and 18, and as a result she adopted many French ways, including the Gallic spelling of the family name, which was adopted by the entire Stewart clan.
Mark
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Questioner's Rating
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Of course! The French influence - I really hadn't considered that! Many thanks for your fast and detailed response, Mark. Most helpful and interesting. Regards, Gavin | ||
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British History
Answers by Expert:
Mark Smith
Expertise
I have a good basic knowledge of British political history, but my speciality is the Kings and Queens of England and Scotland from 927 AD. Please no social history questions, it's not my strong point and I'm unlikely to answer them.
Experience
No professional experience, but a lifelong interest and access to a variety of sources of information.
Education/Credentials
"A" level in History.
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